One Day for Double the Impact

By Katie Chappell

The Cal State San Marcos community will come together Nov. 28 to show their hearts in support of CSUSM Giving Day.

Kicking off at midnight, the 24-hour campaign will bring together students, alumni, family members, employees and friends of the University to give with the heart of a Cougar by supporting the causes they are passionate about.

CSUSM is paving the way for tomorrow’s leaders, pushing the limits of knowledge through research and lifting up others while ascending to new heights. Philanthropic gifts expand the University’s ability to serve and support students toward their educational goals.

Matching gifts and challenges could double or triple the impact of each gift. A generous $50,000 pledge from Dr. Jack Raymond, CSUSM’s Foundation Board chair, will provide a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $1,000 per gift, as long as funds last. Steve and Laura Wagner have pledged $10,000 in bonus challenges that will be awarded to causes that hit milestones to unlock the funds. Learn more about the match and challenge gifts.

Other fund matches have been established to increase the impact of gifts made to individual funding areas. The campaign has set an ambitious goal of surpassing 555 gifts with 40 percent of gifts coming from first-time donors. Updates will be shared on the University's social media channels and on the CSUSM Giving Day website.

"CSUSM Giving Day is a unique opportunity for a new generation of Cougars to support what they love about their University," said Sean Briner, who oversees Annual Giving. “When the Cal State San Marcos community comes together to give, the collective impact is enormous.”

Throughout the 24-hour campaign, donors are encouraged to share their heart by posting on social media using #CSUSMGivingDay. The tag line, “show us your heart” communicates to supporters that the combined impact of their heart for CSUSM, along with generous matching grants, make a difference for the future of the University.

The CSUSM community is encouraged to participate in these ways:

Give: Make a gift, large or small, to support a favorite cause, scholarship or college at the University during the campaign.

Share: Share the news of your support on social media and spread the word about #CSUSMGivingDay.

Thank: Use social media to help us say thank you to friends, family, colleagues and community members who gave a gift to the University on #CSUSMGivingDay.